Chapter 69: Seven Wings (2)

Tok, tuduk.

Luna cast a sidelong glance at Darius, who stood next to her.

Though the fight had only begun a short while ago, his condition already did not look good.

Scarlet blood ran down the greatsword’s blade where it touched the ground.

As the one taking on the vanguard role and receiving every attack from that monster head-on, his injuries were severe.

‘It can’t be helped.’

For cadets of their level, it was difficult enough just to endure a single strike from that thing.

At best, they could only support, and the only ones who could stand on the same line as Darius were her and Ivan, who were both seniors.

‘But this is reaching the limit.’

Luna wiped away the sweat running down her forehead with the back of her hand.

Thud.

The monster, now twisted into an even more grotesque form, scattered a dark crimson aura as it advanced toward them.

Tat!

The sudden charge made the cadets react as if they had rehearsed it beforehand.

When Darius gritted his teeth and swung his greatsword head-on, Ivan and Luna split left and right, closing in on the monster’s blind spots.

Kwaang!

The flame-like aura shrouding the greatsword blocked the monster’s crushing blow.

Its massive body swayed and staggered back for a moment, but Darius still managed to hold his ground.

Immediately after, Luna—who had darted in low enough to nearly touch the ground—sliced through the monster’s ankle tendons, while Ivan stabbed mercilessly at its side as he passed by.

Pssh!

With a spray of blood shooting in all directions, the monster writhed violently.

Amid the chaos, Darius knocked aside a swinging fist and, with a ferocious will, slashed across the monster’s chest.

Chwaaaak!

Flesh tore away, exposing the organs and bones inside.

‘As expected, amazing.’

Pulling back to once again seek the monster’s blind spot, Luna glanced at Darius.

It was a strength far beyond what could be called cadet level.

Simply put, it was enough to rival a decent-ranking knight.

If he gained just a bit more experience, he could become a well-rounded expert.

If he hadn’t been the Master’s family, she would have immediately recommended him for recruitment into NOX.

‘But the Master’s disappearance became a poison.’

Once it was confirmed Carl was gone, the cadets’ actions grew more hasty.

The reason Darius had sustained such wounds was because he overextended himself in an attempt to finish the fight quickly.

“……”

Luna’s gaze shifted beyond the forest.

She caught faint, quivering distortions in the air far away.

She could sense nothing beyond that point, but it was obvious that something unusual was happening there.

Otherwise, there was no way the Master would still not have shown himself by now.

“…Kh.”

Another clash erupted, and Darius was pushed back, spraying blood.

Though he had endured the first blow, his knees buckled of their own accord under the second, and he collapsed to the ground.

Kwaaaang!

Yuria and Pozers, who had been waiting for the right moment, unleashed magic upon the monster from above.

Blue feathers scattered, circling around the monster, gradually sealing off its movement.

On top of that, sticky slime poured down, further binding it, and the recovered Maximilian and Laysis kicked off the ground, charging in.

Pat!

A relentless chain of attacks left the monster no chance to breathe.

Its body was soon battered to rags, but it regenerated almost immediately and swung its arms wildly.

Thud.

Even with that alone, the overwhelming difference in power sent the cadets flying and rolling across the ground, incapacitated.

「Grrr……」

The monster’s eyes, provoked by the sharp attacks, locked onto Darius.

If left alone, he would be in danger.

Thus, Luna steeled herself.

‘The Master’s orders take priority.’

The infiltration plan into the Academy had other operatives besides her.

But if the cadets here died, there was no bringing them back.

The priority was obvious—Luna released her restraints and gripped her sword.

Woooong—!

The blade let out a cry.

She wasn’t a frontline fighter, so her overall combat strength wasn’t high, but she still had one strike that could be called her trump card.

If it was that, even this monster would have trouble taking it head-on—

Shreeeeak!

Before she could move, an overwhelming Sonic Burst thundered from behind.

For an instant, Luna thought another monster had appeared and let out a short gasp.

But when she saw the figure charging toward them, her eyes went wide.

Kwaaang—!

A blazing red comet crashed down between the cadets, slamming into the monster and knocking it away.

It then slid forward a few steps under its own momentum before stopping.

“Hah… haah…”

Harsh breathing echoed through the otherwise silent forest.

The emblem of a Raging Flame engraved on the chest of the plate mail rose and fell vividly.

Darius, whose life had just been saved, widened his eyes at the sudden intruder.

“Brother.”

“Darius.”

The eldest of the Leipzig Family, Carius Leipzig, drenched in sweat, panted as he checked his younger brother’s condition.

“Are you hurt—”

“This much is fine. I’ll be good as new after using a potion.”

“Looks like the others are unharmed too.”

Carius pressed his forehead and let out a sigh of relief.

The Empire had already detected the abnormality in Erendal Forest.

But the forest was vast, and the search parties moved far too slowly.

There were dangers scattered everywhere, so it couldn’t be helped, but for Carius, who knew his brothers were deeper inside the forest, it was unbearable.

So he had half-deserted, sprinting through the forest alone to search for them.

He was confident he could take down most magical beasts by himself.

“…Wait, where’s Carl?”

“We still haven’t found him.”

“……”

Carius’s face twisted.

He tossed a potion to Darius and turned away.

“Find him. Don’t even think about coming back until you do.”

“…I’ll find him, no matter what.”

Seeing his eldest brother looking colder than ever, Darius nodded seriously.

Thud—!

Carius kicked off the ground and charged toward the monster that had begun moving again.

Using the brief respite to drink the potion from his brother, Darius treated his wounds and then spoke to the cadets sprawled around him.

“The rest of you, stay here. If you have the capacity, help my brother.”

“But…”

“Luna, Ivan. You can still move, right?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“No problem.”

“Yuria, Pozers. Use detection magic to search.”

“Yes.”

“Understood.”

After giving his concise orders, Darius launched himself forward.

He had to find their youngest brother, who might be curled up somewhere, trembling in fear.

‘Just stay alive.’

Darius prayed desperately—even to gods he had never sought before—as he ran through the forest.

Kang! Kang!

Carl’s fight with Mathias had reached the probing stage.

Since neither could yet read the other’s capabilities, they exchanged blows to gauge them.

Thus, both traded moves with utmost caution.

Shiiak!

At the long, crescent-shaped slash, Carl shifted his sword grip.

Chchchcht!

A cross-shaped trajectory flashed in the air, forming a barrier.

The two forces clashed dead-center and canceled each other out after a fierce collision.

This had been the pattern from the start until now.

Both swung their swords without daring to step fully into each other’s domain.

“Hm, your sword tip is still dull. I see you haven’t fully adapted to that body yet. Since you smashed my scabbard, you’ve blocked one of my specialties—iaido—so I understand.”

Tch.

Mathias also changed his grip, curling his lips upward.

“But iaido isn’t all I have. This is the sword that raised me to the First Seat of the Seven Wings.”

Saaaa—

Mathias’s blade began to move in multiple trajectories.

The movement was almost like a sword dance, making Carl narrow his eyes.

The sword multiplied, as if extending into several at once, filling the air.

‘What is this?’

The essence of the Taiji?

Rotation? Circulation?

What secret was hidden in those blades?

Carl focused his senses to the utmost, watching Mathias’s every movement.

“…!”

But in just one instant—

A fleeting moment, so brief it could be called a heartbeat—Carl lost sight of Mathias’s movement.

And the cost was not small.

Tic—!

The right edge of his mask was sliced off.

Had he not instinctively twisted his head away from the cold breath so close by, his face would have been pierced along with the mask.

Mathias looked at Carl with a faint expression of regret.

“Most can’t react to the first strike. You have beast-like senses and reflexes.”

“……”

Thud.

Carl immediately kicked off the ground, widening the distance from Mathias.

He had clearly been watching with maximum focus—

Yet he still couldn’t see the trajectory of the swing.

‘No slash marks, no visible trail. I shouldn’t think of this as a martial technique.’

Carl exhaled a long, shallow breath, broadening his thoughts.

All sword attacks ultimately boiled down to three: cut, swing, thrust.

Even in higher realms or advanced martial schools, techniques were only variations and combinations of those basics—faster, stronger, extended.

But what unfolded before him was outside the category of swordsmanship as a phenomenon.

In the Central Plains, it would have been dismissed as sorcery and avoided, but here in Artenia, it was entirely possible.

Not something to avoid, but something to overcome.

That was why he had studied and trained in various fields until now.

Shhk!

Something came at him again.

Carl could only sense it when it was about to make contact with his body.

Tat!

He instantly kicked off the ground, circling quickly around.

If the attack was invisible, then he just had to keep moving so it couldn’t track him.

Melding into the shadows, he suddenly appeared at Mathias’s rear.

Kagagagak!

But before he could swing, something sharp grazed across his body.

Had it not been for the Heavenly Demon Divine Art’s protective energy, he would have been shredded.

Whoosh.

Flipping in the air, Carl frowned behind his mask as he stared at him.

“Truly quick. You’re among the fastest I’ve ever fought.”

“……”

Carl didn’t answer.

He focused entirely on the opponent, concentrating on the nature of this ‘invisible something.’

‘Magic? No—if mana was mixed in, there’s no way I wouldn’t notice. It’s not martial arts either, so that leaves something like spirit arts or ancient runes…’

Carl turned his attention to Mathias’s origin.

As far as he knew, the kingdom called Reston hadn’t existed for several centuries.

Which meant Mathias was from an era far older.

It was possible he was using some technique that no longer existed in the modern age.

Pak, pagagagak!

The protective energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was continually being shredded, faltering dangerously.

Even abandoning attacks to focus on evasion, the assault stuck to him like it had the property of inescapable hit.

‘Even if it’s inescapable, it’s not absolute. The key is that it ends upon contact. Even a thin graze counts as a hit.’

Which meant that against an unavoidable trajectory, one could intentionally take a glancing blow to avoid a fatal wound.

He had taken the first step by outlining the invisible attack, but Carl had no intention of stopping there.

Whoosh.

Lightly twirling his sword and readjusting his grip, the demonic energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art subsided—

And in its place, Extreme Yin Energy surged up, freezing everything around him.

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